7)    Downtown Site : Results of Public Enquiry held on 25-28 April 2006 + Southwark News @ 24-8-2006 ("Downtown Battle Call" + "A Call For Back Up On Downtown") 

Trust for Urban Ecology (“TRUE”) in Rotherhithe

What TRUE does now

Nature Park Management

The Trust for Urban Ecology manages two sites in Rotherhithe, namely Lavender Pond and Stave Hill Ecology Park. The costs of running these sites part funded (approx 40%) by the London Borough of Southwark at a cost of approx 24,000.00.

Russia Dock Woodland

TRUE also has a contract to manage the Waterways and Wetlands in Russia Dock Woodland for approx 3,000.00 to operate the submersible pump within the Stave Hill Ecology Park to maintain water levels within the three ponds and occasionally flood the remaining waterways. To remove Duckweed and waterweed within the three ponds. To cut marginal vegetation and to co-ordinate with grounds maintenance contractors the removal of litter from the waterways.

Canada Water

TRUE also has a contract for specific management tasks in the Canada Water wildlife area. Including Reed bed cuts, Tree and Shrub Management, a continuing programme to cut back the tree growth, meadow management and one off tasks to create Swan Nesting Raft in Surrey Water and plant Albion Canal with Water lilies and mature containerised marginals. Costs vary per year but are generally around 2,000

Norway Dock

TRUE also has a contract with Solitaire Property Management to manage the lakes at Norway Dock and work with the residents association to create a community resource for wildlife and local people.

Greenland Dock

TRUE is working with Southwark Council to create nesting island and raft in Greenland Dock funded by the Cleaner Greener Safer fund

Biodiversity Funding

TRUE has recently received funding from Landfill tax to begin a 3 year programme to plant up various waterways in Rotherhithe most notably the Albion Canal and to a lesser degree Russia Dock Woodland and Norway Dock. A reed bed nursery is being created at Lavender Pond to grow reeds and other marginal plants to plant out in the next few years. TRUE also has funding to create stag beetle loggeries throughout the peninsula

What TRUE hopes to do in the future.

The Peninsula Wide Wildlife Project

In 2003 Esmee Fairbairn funded a 2-year post of Access Co-ordinator/Nature Parks Development Manager for the Rotherhithe peninsula. Within that time activities and resources within the area have increased dramatically and become peninsula wide in approach. It has seen the designation of Lavender Pond as a LNR, the building of a visitors centre at Stave Hill Ecology Park, installation of a new wind turbine, the regeneration of Russia Dock Woodlands, and almost a tenfold increase in volunteer involvement.

This project proposes to continue this momentum funding the post of Nature Parks Development Manager for another 2-years to oversee the implementation of an ambitious plan to significantly increase biodiversity in the area and meet targets for local, regional and national biodiversity action plans.

The project is a strategy to de-fragment the peninsula by creating corridors between the various wildlife habitats and to create a rich oasis for urban wildlife that will rival the wetland centre in Barnes. Rotherhithe has an equivalent area of green space and open water and the potential to match the size and variety of habitats. Unlike Barnes, it is an inner London area and so there will be an emphasis on urban wildlife and a stronger local community involvement in the development, management and use of the wildlife network. Its proximity to the river will significantly enhance the Thames corridor, as a passageway for wildlife, linking sites like Barnes and Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park. The peninsula used to be marshland before dockland. This project will bring back a habitat largely lost to docklands and increasingly lost on a national scale to agriculture.

The Trust has applied for project funding for a number of biodiversity action plans to achieve significant targets (i.e. reed bed creation 50% London Target) and conserve species in decline, but to achieve a regionally or nationally important urban wildlife refuge a Co-ordinator is essential.

Wetland Programme: Rotherhithe Reed Beds and Marshland

The most significant plan is to increase reed bed habitat by 250% by 2010 with the creation a network of reed beds that will transform the area and link the waterways and wetlands throughout the whole peninsula. The remaining deepwater docks of Canada water Surrey Basin and Greenland will be softened with floating islands and vegetation. The Albion Canal will form a long linear reed bed linking the two docks. The other main linking corridor Russia Dock Woodland will be diversified with new marginal, lily pad and aquatic planting. Rafts in Greenland dock will be built and maintained with the help of local young people and the dock’s residents association. A similar approach will be taken with the other waterways.

This plan will be supplemented with more specific works to increase habitat for species associated with wetland i.e. kingfishers and sand martins (artificial nesting banks and barrels), bats (artificial roosting), common tern (rafts), red eyed damselflies (lily bed) and herons. All these species breed on or use the peninsula but there is great potential to increase their range and population.

Woodland Programme: Stag Beetle Centres, Woodland Enhancement and Black Poplar

A stag beetle centre at Stave Hill will supply loggeries to local gardens and demonstration large-scale loggeries at Stave Hill, Russia Dock, Lavender Pond, and Southwark Park Wildlife Area. The woodland habitats at Lavender Pond and Russia Dock Woodland will be diversified with glade creation woodland wildflower planting and the introduction of Black Poplar a LBAP species grown from local sources. A programme of works in partnership with Southwark Council and the local groups will significantly increase the diversity of these woodland areas.

Grassland Programme: Wildflower Meadows

Stave Hill Ecology Park was designated as Britain’s first urban Butterfly Sanctuary by Butterfly Conservation due to the regular recording of over twenty species of butterfly.

Over a hectare of wildflower meadows of Stave Hill continue to flourish and half a hectare has been added close by at Southwark Park Wildlife Area. Southwark Council in collaboration with TRUE, Friends of Southwark Park and Friends of Russia Dock Woodland intend to increase wildflower meadow by another hectare within the Rotherhithe area. This will broaden and strengthen the range of butterflies and many other invertebrates notably the grasshoppers and crickets that are also such a feature of Stave Hill. The wildflower areas through Russia Dock Woodland will also help to link together the wildlife habitat throughout the peninsula

Urban Wildlife Project: Dockland Flora and Fauna

In the seventies the Surrey docks where filled in leaving large tracts of wasteland. As in most of east London much of this wasteland has been lost to development but important sites remain and are preserved at Stave Hill Ecology Park and Russia Dock Woodland. The biodiversity of these areas is unique, providing a topography and climate ideal for invertebrates and reptiles. For example at Stave Hill there is one of the few inner London colonies of slow worm. Some of London’s wastelands can support as many Red Data Book species as high quality ancient woodland or heathland. Nine out of the eleven flagship species identified in the Londons BAP for wastelands have been recorded in Rotherhithe. TRUE intends to link these fragmented habitats by creating flower rich borders throughout the peninsula. TRUE will also monitor the inverterbrate and reptile populations and expand urban features such as rubble piles known to encourage these species.

One wasteland flagship species with particular historical note in Rotherhithe, is the Black Redstart. The founder of TRUE Max Nicholson was one of the first to draw attention to this unusually urban of birds. Rotherhithe was one of the strongholds due to the number of derelict wharves in the area. TRUE following biodiversity targets is already in the process of constructing a ‘Brown Roof’ on top of the visitors centre at Stave Hill to encourage Redstarts and associated invertebrate species and intends to provide more habitat on top of the wardens hut at Lavender Pond.

A Community Partnership

Through the last few years a partnership has begun to flourish between community groups, TRUE and Southwark Council. In 2003 Southwark Council Funded works regenerating Russia Dock woodlands through woodland and wetland management and the supply of a new borehole pump.

The Russia Dock Woodland Steering group was set up to oversee the project and has since with the help of TRUE gained two small grants for further work. The Access Co-ordinator has helped to find funds for Biodiversity work for a number of community groups in the area:

The Friends of Lavender Pond

Bridgehouse Trust (BT), Peoples Places (PP)

Friends of Russia Dock Woodland

BT, PP, Cleaner Greener Safer

Stave Hill Ecological Design Group

BT, PP, North Southwark Environment Trust

Friends of Southwark Park

Peoples Places

Norway Dock Resident Association

Peoples Places

Friends of Stave Hill

Peoples Places

Brunel Engine House Museum

Peoples Places

Greenland Dock Tenants & Residents Association

Cleaner Greener Safer (Southwark Council)

The part funding of the Nature Park Development Manager will allow these partnerships and funding initiatives to thrive. With the visitor centres at Stave Hill and Lavender Pond acting as accessible focus points the peninsula can become a haven for wildlife, education and community involvement.

Funding the Programme

Project / Organisation Grant Applied for Cost Timescale

Access Co-ordinator

Two years part funding Cleaner Greener Safer £20-30,000. 2006

Wetland programme

Rotherhithe Reed Beds

Trust for Urban Ecology  SITA TRUST  £20,900.00

Awarded Friends of Lavender Pond  Breathing Places  £10,000.00  October 2006

Woodland Programme

Stag Beetle Centres

Trust for Urban Ecology  SITA TRUST  £17,600.00

Awarded Friends of Stave Hill  Breathing Places  £10,000.00  October 2006

WOODLAND ENHANCEMENT

Friends of Russia Dock Woodland  AWARDS FOR ALL  £10,000.00  2006

Grassland Programme

Trust for Urban Ecology  AWARDS FOR ALL  £10,000.00  2006

SHED  Breathing Places  £10,000.00  October 2006

Urban Wildlife Programme

DOCKLANDS FLORA and FAUNA

Friends of Stave Hill  Breathing Places  £10,000.00  October 2006

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Hook, Jeffrey

To: kam@khleung.fsnet.co.uk

Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 2:31 PM

Subject: Fw: New Powers for the Mayor

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Bull, Chris
To: Chief Officers; Health & Social Care SMT; Executive; Naylor, Sarah
Sent: Fri Jul 14 12:36:24 2006
Subject: FW: New Powers for the Mayor

For information.

-----Original Message-----
From: Gus Wilson [mailto:Gus.Wilson@london.gov.uk]
Sent: 14 July 2006 10:55 AM
Subject: New Powers for the Mayor


Dear all

The Mayor and Ruth Kelly yesterday announced the outcomes from the review of powers of the Mayor and Assembly.

I have attached the link to the GLA press release.  <http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=8621> http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=8621

I have reproduced the list of new powers here:

        In summary, the Mayor’s new powers and roles are as follows: